Many fans’ prayers were answered this week as Canadian publisher Drawn & Quarterly announced the license of Shigeru Mizuki’s GeGeGe no Kitaro. The series – retitled simply KITARO – will see its first English publication in 2013.
Drawn & Quarterly has already released two series by Shigeru Mizuki: Onwards Towards Our Noble Deaths and Nonnonba. Though I’ve never read any Kitaro, the series comes up every time Shigeru Mizuki’s name is mentioned so I’m curious to read this title considered a manga classic.
“Meet Kitaro. He’s just like any other boy, except for a few small differences: he only has one eye, his hair is as an antenna that senses paranormal activity, his geta sandals are jet-powered, and he can blend in to his surroundings like a chameleon. Oh, and he’s a three hundred and fifty year old yokāi (spirit monster). With all the offbeat humor and a delightful cast of characters, Kitaro is a light-hearted romp where the bad guys always get what’s coming to them.”
There was no word yet on if Drawn & Quarterly will be releasing the series (which is very, very, long) as single volumes or omnibus-style. An Amazon listing (as reported by ANN) does show it as hardcover and clocking in at 432 pages, but it doesn’t say volume one anywhere on it. This could mean it’s either a one-shot collection of hand chosen story from the series or an indication it’ll be multi-volume editions and the listing is simply missing the volume number. Time shall tell!
Regardless of its format, however, this series has far too much positive press and history behind it to slip through my fingers when it hits store shelves early next year.
Follow
